The Grand Tour: 13

I'm winding down The Grand Tour series for a bit. One more is in progress on a work table and it will be No. 14. I've made 11 since moving into my new studio just eight weeks ago and need a break from them. I loved the voluminous skirt of the dress, which was shown in the June 1865 issue of Godey's Lady's Book, and the wistful appearance of the woman. Behind her is a German postcard with its original stamps. The city scene is softened by a vellum overlay under the railing that came from a travel brochure. To show the range of The Grand Tour, which hit all the European Continent's hot spots, Venetian gondoliers glide by her hem.  4.5" x 7" on the inside of a varnished, leather antique book cover; hangs from a brass chain. $75 + $5 shipping & handling

Of note: the dress is described as "cuir-colored* poplin Imperatrice, trimmed with narrow black velvet, and fancy jet and gilt buttons" with a corsage (bodice) of "very long coat tails, trimmed with velvet and buttons, and finished with black chenille tassels." *dark brown

What's Wrong?

I thought I'd follow up in the previous post with this one since it also incorporates the medical student class notes from 1909. This time, they are paired with a cool brain illustration from an ad that I liked, because the text and red dot are not where they should. The used parking garage tag appealed to me because its numbers are so left brain. Unlike the previous collage, this one's a done deal. 5" x 5" on acid-free watercolor paper. {SOLD}

Fragile: two views

I've been debating whether this collage should have a vertical orientation (above) or a horizontal one (below) - and am still up in the air. It started with the handwritten text, which is from a series of three 1909 classroom notebooks kept by a medical student that I found at a flea market. To the left of the notes, is a piece of a leather book spine with a shattered surface that reminded me of a fracture. To the right is a thigh bone and text from "Young People's Physiology" (American Book Co., 1888).

Looking at this piece now, I'm also tempted to crop it a quarter-to-a-half inch on all sides, especially if it ends up in the horizontal position. I'll post the outcome when I make up my mind about the final look. 5" x 5" on acid-free paper.   {SOLD}

Update: the vertical orientation won out ... and I didn't crop it.

Eye Contact

There's a company called Papaya, whose graphics I've long admired. They are dreamy, neo-hippie, exotic, cross-cultural - think Anthropologie aesthetic and you have the idea. Well, I was looking at a Papaya ad and admiring the complexity of the artwork when it occurred to me that I ought to try something similar.

There was a catch: digital layering and imagery is integral to Papaya's look but I was determined to stay old-school. In the end, I think I could have achieved more of the style by softening the flowers with an acrylic wash but I did get 10 layers into the piece, and that's not counting the painted and inked rings or the watercolors on her face. I'm sure to try this again. 5" x 5" on acid-free watercolor paper

Wills's cigarette cards

The graphic wallop that can be created in a 2.6" x 1.4" is amazing. That's what I thought when I spied the card above in a case at a Michigan antiques mall. I HAD to have it, and got it for a mere $1.

It's No. 29 in a set of 50 First Aid cards that were tucked into packages of Wills's cigarettes in 1913. I was familiar with sports cigarette cards but not with DIY ones. Of course, the minute I got home I started researching them and discovered that dozens of series were published from Household Hints (in 1927 and 1936) and Flower Culture in Pots (1925) to Engineering Wonders (1927) and English Period Costumes (1929). Oh, and the requisite sports cards of footballers and cricketers, these were British cigarettes, after all. 

I became obsessed with obtaining the entire First Aid set, which I did much later at an outdoor antiques show in New Harmony, Ind. On the back of each card: detailed first aid instructions. I cannot explain it - other than my odd sensibilities - but the images of bandaged body parts on cards, from left, 48, 47,  40 & 39 are among my favorites.

At that same New Harmony event, I also scored a 50-card set of Gardening Hints, from left, cards 5, 6, 7 & 8.  Find out more about cigarette cards at this terrific UK site.